-
05 Jan 2018
Boreal Orders Electric Ferry at Vard
Shipbuilder Vard Holdings Limited said it has been awarded a contract to build a new car- and passenger ferry due for delivery to Norwegian public transport operator Boreal in the third quarter of 2019. The vessel will ply the Norwegian fjords powered by a fully electrical battery solution for continuous electric operations. Vard said the vessel’s hull will be constructed at one of its Romanian yards, Vard Braila, and final delivery will take place from Vard Brevik in Norway.
-
04 Jan 2018
Four Carnival Brands to Debut New Ships in 2018
Carnival Corporation & plc will roll out four new ships in 2018 across four of its 10 global brands, as the company will add 18 new cruise liners to its fleet between 2018 and 2022. The new vessels to set sail in 2018 will be for Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Seabourn and AIDA Cruises, and follow three new ships debuted by Carnival Corporation in 2017. “Our fleet enhancement program enables…
-
03 Jan 2018
Canada Fines another Vessel for Speeding
Transport Canada has issued a $6,000 fine to the owner of Panama flagged bulk carrier Federal Cardinal after the supramax vessel allegedly failed to comply with vessel speed restrictions in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In August Canada put in place a temporary mandate for vessels of 20 meters or more to slow to a maximum of 10 knots due to the increased presence of whales in the western Gulf of St. Lawrence…
-
02 Jan 2018
Bulker Refloated in St. Lawrence Seaway
A 623-foot bulk carrier was refloated in the St. Lawrence Seaway Saturday after running aground near Wellesley Island, N.Y. last Wednesday. The Antigua Barbuda flagged…
-
02 Jan 2018
Coast Guard Rescues Florida Man from Sinking Car
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued an elderly man from a vehicle that fell into a marina in Panama City, Fla. A boat crew from Coast Guard Cutter Marlin was launched to rescue the 89-year-old man behind the wheel after crew members saw his vehicle go into the St. Andrews Marina in at approximately 12:45 p.m. Saturday. The boat crew broke the car’s window, pulled the man from the vehicle and transferred him to emergency medical personnel ashore.
-
27 Dec 2017
Polish Sailor Survives 7 Months Adrift
A Polish sailor told local media that he survived seven months adrift in a broken-down vessel in the Indian Ocean. The 54-year-old Zbigniew Reket said he and his…
-
27 Dec 2017
Ailing Bulker Crewman Medvaced in Annapolis
A crewmember reportedly experiencing stroke-like symptoms was medevaced from the bulk carrier Kang Hong in the Annapolis anchorage Tuesday. A 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boat crew from U.S.
-
27 Dec 2017
Cruise Ship Collides with Bridge in Germany
River cruise ship Swiss Crystal struck a motorway bridge over the Rhine River in Germany, injuring at least 25 on board, according to local media. The 100-meter-long Swiss river cruiser was carrying 129 passengers from Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg when it struck a pillar of the bridge head on near Duisburg on Tuesday evening. The vessel’s bow suffered significant damage. Police said most of the injuries were minor, and the four people taken to the hospital were released on Wednesday.
-
27 Dec 2017
Rescuers Help Dolphins Escape Indonesian Circus
A dolphin protection group has helped to facilitate the confiscation, rehabilitation and release of illegally caught dolphins bound to be sold for Indonesia’s traveling circuses. The California based organization Dolphin Project said it received reports in mid December that three wild dolphins – two spinners and a bottlenose – were being held with more than 30 reef sharks in Karimunjawa, Indonesia in a shallow pool known for allowing visitors to take selfies with sharks.
-
22 Dec 2017
KOTUG: Flying Drones for Safer Tug Operations
Netherlands based towage operator KOTUG said it is exploring new ways to use aerial drone technology in its tug operations, as part of a plan to achieve safer and more efficient working conditions. While interest in drone technology has been gaining momentum in the maritime sector, stakeholders continue to explore new applications, from aerial deliveries to surveying and inspection. KOTUG has applied for a patent for its new plan…
-
20 Dec 2017
Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding Delivers ATB to Wawa
Wawa Inc. has taken delivery of its first owned vessel, a newly built articulated tug-barge unit (ATB) constructed by Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding. The barge, named 1964, and its 8,000 horsepower tug, Millville, were christened during a November 28 ceremony at the Sturgeon Bay, Wisc. shipyard. Wawa, which runs a chain of gas stations/convenience stores on the U.S. East Coast and presently sells about two percent of the gasoline sold in the nation…
-
20 Dec 2017
Vane Bros. Orders Four New Tugs from Chesapeake
Chesapeake Shipbuilding Corp. said it has signed an agreement to design and build four new push tugs for Vane Brothers. The design and construction on the Subchapter M compliant tugs will begin immediately in Chesapeake Shipbuilding’s hull fabrication buildings in Salisbury, Md. The series’ lead vessel is expected to be delivered in the beginning of 2019. The four new sister tugs will Subchapter M compliant each measure 94’ LOA, with a 34’ molded beam and a 10’ 6” molded depth.
-
20 Dec 2017
EXMAR, Statoil Sign Deal for VLGC Newbuilds
EXMAR said it has entered into an agreement with Statoil for two newbuild 79,500 m³ very large gas carriers (VLGC) to transport liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in a long-term commitment.
-
20 Dec 2017
Seychelles Charges Six Somali Pirates
Six Somali nationals have been charged in the Republic of Seychelles for attempting and committing acts of piracy in the Indian Ocean, the Seychellois Attorney General announced on December 18. The suspected pirates were apprehended in November by EU antipiracy forces following alleged attacks on containership MV Ever Dynamic and fishing vessel Galerna III in the Southern Somali Basin, an area known for piracy.
-
18 Dec 2017
US Navy Sailors Get a Special Star Wars Screening
Rumors had already been circling for days by the time the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) crew gathered for an 'All-Hands' call on the morning of December 15. When the aircraft carrier's commanding officer Capt. Richard McCormack addressed the crew, he asked if they knew the reason they were assembled in the hangar bay, before handing the microphone to a guest speaker to "confirm or deny" the rumors.
-
18 Dec 2017
Ponant Orders Electric/LNG Icebreaker Cruise Ship
French cruise line Ponant has ordered the world's first hybrid electric cruise icebreaker with liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion, due to take passengers to extremely remote polar locales from 2021. The polar-ready luxury liner will be constructed by Fincantieri subsidiary Vard Holdings Limited, who secured the approximately $320 million shipbuilding contract. The hull will be built at Vard Tulcea in Romania…
-
12 Dec 2017
World’s Largest Crane Vessel under Development
Holding OOS International Group B.V. said it is working with China Merchants Industry Holdings (CMIH) to design and build what will be the world’s largest semi-submersible crane vessel (SSCV), OOS Zeelandia. OOS unveiled the OOS Zeelandia during the EU-China Blue Industry Cooperation Forum in Shenzhen on December 8, but revealed the basic design has been in progress since a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed with the China Merchants Group subsidiary CMIH in July.
-
12 Dec 2017
Proposal for 355-ship US Navy Signed into Law
Included in the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) signed today by President Donald Trump is policy to grow the U.S. Navy fleet from its current 279 ships to a minimum of 355. “With his signature, President Trump has confirmed the United States’ resolve to meet the growing needs of our U.S. Navy,” said Senate Seapower Subcommittee Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker (Miss.), who introduced the Securing the Homeland by Increasing our Power on the Seas (SHIPS) Act along with Rep.
-
12 Dec 2017
Trump to Open Oil Drilling off US East Coast
The Trump administration is preparing a plan that would open up oil drilling off the U.S. East Coast, Bloomberg reported. President Trump ordered the Interior Department to create the draft proposal as part of his “America-First Offshore Energy Strategy” executive order in April. The new plan, which could be unveiled as soon as this week, would allow the U.S. to auction oil and gas drilling rights in Atlantic waters previously blocked under the Obama administration.
-
12 Dec 2017
Concordia Eyes Growing Product Tanker Market
Swedish tanker shipping company Concordia Maritime said it has signed a contract to charter in another IMO2/3 class MR tanker while also extending an expiring charter of another MR tanker. The new charter contract will run for two years from the time the newbuild is delivered in January 2018, with multiple options to extend. The other MR tanker charter contract, which expired in November, will be extended for a minimum of one year.